We have been looking for the most effective way to distribute water filters while at the same time making sure that they are being used effectively. In Huehue we came upon the idea of giving a filter to this center, and asking Clara to keep track of which families would come on a regular basis to get clean water. Now, we are giving filters to five of these families, asking them to share the water with their neighbors, and requesting they, too, keep track of who comes regularly. These families will, God willing, be our next candidates to receive water filters. The people who came today were excited to have filters in their own homes and no longer have to travel to get pure water. Don Maximo rode his bicycle many miles over terrible roads to be able to take his filter home to Canabaj. Mildred, one of the women, wanted to know if it was okay for her to take her filter with her when she visits her mother every week in another part of the city. These folks are excited to share what they have with their families and neighbors. This seems to be the best process yet for distributing filters.
While Dick and Dave were assembling the filters, I had a chance to visit with the women. They have asked that I meet with them whenever I am in Huehuetenango to do Bible Study with them. None of them are very familiar with the Bible and are eager to learn. This will be a priority when we come back in a couple of months. They also asked me to visit with two brothers, both of whom are blind had have never attended school. I don’t know what I was expecting, but these two guys blew me away. Darwin, the older brother, age 18, and Francisco, the younger, age 9, were bright, articulate, and hungry for learning. When I asked them if they would like to learn Braille, they both just about jumped out of their skin—and their mother was equally excited.
These two young men may not have been formally educated, but it was evident to all of us how much “teaching” the mother and other family members had done. Each was able to tell me exactly what they wanted to learn about, and their conversational skills were excellent. Francisco, the younger boy, is more outgoing, and can steal the show from his brother. Darwin, however, is extremely talented in his own right, riding a bicycle without being able to see where he is going. What courage! Darwin also caught on quickly to how to use a power drill, under Dick’s expert instruction. 
While teaching those with vision disabilities is well out of my comfort range, or skill area for that matter, I am learning something about how to do this working with a center in Guatemala City, Fundal. This group educates deaf and/or blind children, and consults at New Life School in Santa Maria de Jesus where I have been working. So, what I know, I will bring to them, and their mother will be their teacher. I’m going to find out, too, if there is a chance that someone from Fundal could come and visit them and give their mother suggestions. I have to confess, I am captivated by Francisco, and heartily wish I could work with him directly. At one point I jokingly asked if he’d like to come home with me, and, without missing a beat, he answer, “Yes, if you’re going to teach me!” These kids deserve an education. 
After wrapping up the water filter project, we headed out again, accompanied by Clara and Amanda, to visit Melanie, a 13 year old we had given a wheelchair to last July. We wanted to see how she was doing and how the chair was working out for her. It’s funny how my perspective has changed in the months since we first gave her a chair. She had had a plastic lawn chair on wheels which she had been using to get around, and when we put her in the yellow cloth child’s chair it looked perfect. Today, Dick (and even I) could see things we’d like to see changed with the chair to better support her. But, compared to the plastic chair she’d been in, the cloth chair was a 200% improvement. Now we’re hoping to make it 250% better for her.We ate a quick lunch at McDonalds, and then the crew dropped me off at the hotel. They would be going to visit Ernesto, who lives at the top of a steep 15 minute climb up a mountainside. Dick was in no way going to let me try the trek with my heart, so I was “confined to quarters” for the afternoon while the rest of the group went out.
Dave wrote:
After Pat treated me, Dick, Amanda, and Clara to lunch at MacDonalds, we dropped her off at the hotel. Dick wanted to deliver some food to Ernesto and his dad, who live up in the hills about an hour north. Dick said it was only a 15 min. climb, but a little steep. Actually, it was not too bad (I only had to stop twice for a rest). Ernesto lives with his dad in a mud brick home, and has a wheelchair and a walker both of which he uses well. Dad cannot work, as he looks after Ernesto, so the food donation means a lot to them.
The neighborhood kids were very friendly, which Dick says was not the case a few years ago. Back then, they were leery of gringos. Today they kept waving and smiling at us, even when we were getting in the vehicle to leave.
There were a lot of Suv's on this back dirt road, and there were even water trucks spraying down the dust. We thought it was for us, but apparently the President was making a visit to a village up the way. That would also explain all the helicoptors flying around. 
As Dick said on the way home, it was good to get Ernesto and his dad some food - it was worth the climb.
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Back at the hotel, Pat had invited Dora (a teacher from Silsa's school) to bring her 18 yr. old daughter,who is autistic, to meet her. What a sweetheart! She showed us pics of her school while we had dinner together. You could sure tell she is well looked after by her mom, whose husband has left, and has also battled breast cancer. Dora is also taking classes on Saturdays to complete her teaching license - quite a lady. She also travels 1 hour each way to the school where she teaches for 5 hours a day!
After meeting people like Dora, and the ladies and Maximo (who received the water filters), it was a good day to thank God.
Thank you Lord, for people like we met today.
Dave
This evening, shortly before dinner, a teacher from Suculque (near Silsa’s home) brought her eighteen year old daughter to meet me. The young woman is mentally challenged and has some nervous mannerisms, but has wonderful social skills and a loving heart.
Her mother, a breast cancer survivor, is very worried about what will become of Gleidy when she dies or can no longer care for her. She wanted to talk to me about what options I might know of.Though Dora does not earn very much teaching and is the sole support of Gleidy, and her other son, age 16 who is also in school, she has found a private school for Gleidy to go to in the afternoons. This is a financial burden for her, however, and we would like to help her with this if at all possible. About $40 a month would go a long we towards easing Dora’s burden, If you or your small groups would like to help with this, please email me for more information at guatemelagrandma@gmail.com. This would be a huge blessing to this family.
Pat
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